


Take a Step That is New

by Duck_Life



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Multi, Polyamory, Post-Episode: s02e20-22 Girl Meets Texas, Pre-Poly, The Bay Window (Girl Meets World), Throuple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 10:15:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14850858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duck_Life/pseuds/Duck_Life
Summary: Unsure of what to do in the wake of Maya and Lucas, Riley tries to use her parents and Shawn as examples. She gets a surprise.





	Take a Step That is New

Shawn’s barely in the door, ready to congratulate Riley on finally making the cheer squad, when she’s grabbing him by the wrist (“Bay window, bay window right now”) and hauling him toward the stairs. 

“Cor, should I be worried?” he says, shooting a glance at Cory and Topanga in the kitchen. 

Cory shrugs. “Probably.”

“You too!” Riley announces. “And Mom. All of ya.” Once in Riley’s room, Shawn, Cory and Topanga line up on the window cushion like kids being scolded. Riley paces in front of them, building up to whatever it is she wants to say. Finally, she turns and faces them and says, “History repeats itself.”

“Sure, sometimes,” Cory says, slipping into his teacher voice just a little. “What’s going on, Riley?” he says, even though he knows. He’s been trying to help untangle the Riley-Maya-Lucas mess for almost a week now with no success. 

“I’m you,” Riley says, pointing to her dad.

Cory watches her evenly. “You’re Riley.”

“I’m you,” she says again. She points to Shawn next. “I have one of you,” she says, and then points to Topanga, “and I have one of you. And I care about my Shawn and my Topanga both a lot.” 

“We know, honey,” Topanga says. 

“Except,” Riley says, “except my Shawn likes my Topanga and my Topanga likes my Shawn and I… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I just want them to both to be happy but if that makes me not happy then… then I don’t know. Maybe that’s okay?” 

“You don’t have to be us,” Shawn tells her. “You get to decide.”

Riley narrows her eyes at him. “You said,” she says, “you said that I was Cory with Topanga’s hair.” 

“You’re Riley,” Shawn says. “With Riley’s hair. And Riley’s friends and Riley’s dreams. We’re here so you can learn from our mistakes, but we’re not here to tell you exactly how your life’s going to go. Only you can decide that.” 

“That was good,” Cory tells him in a whisper. 

“Thanks, I improvised,” he responds, his mouth tugging into a smile. 

“Fine!” Riley says, flopping back on her bed. “Fine. Tell me what I’m supposed to learn, then. Because I love my friends so, so much and I don’t want them to get hurt but I also don’t ever ever want them to not be in my life. And I don’t know how I’m supposed to make that happen.” 

She can hear Topanga, Cory and Shawn kind of moving around, looking at each other, so she sits back up to watch them. Topanga exchanges a glance with Shawn and Cory and then says, “Should we tell her?”

“Tell me what? Tell me what?” 

“I think she’s ready,” Shawn says. 

“Ready for what? Tell me what?”

“Yeah, she’s old enough to know now,” Cory agrees.

“Old enough to know what? What is it? Tell me what?” 

Topanga looks at her and smiles. “Riley,” she says, “watch this.” And then she leans over and kisses Shawn. On the  _ mouth _ . 

It’s not necessarily a gross kiss, just a normal parent kiss, like how her dad would kiss her mom in the middle of doing the dishes or somethig. But it’s  _ Shawn _ . 

“WHAT,” Riley says, frozen in astonishment on her bed. “Why would you… ? What did you… ? Is this your way of telling me you’re getting a divorce?” she screeches.

“It’s okay, Riley, calm down,” Cory says, holding up his hands. “Watch this.” Then he leans toward Shawn and kisses him just like Topanga did. Again, on the mouth. 

Riley’s eyes are as big as dinner plates. “WHAT,” she says again. “What’s going on? Is this allowed?” 

“Riley,” Topanga says calmly, looping an arm around Shawn, “we love Shawn very much.”

“And he loves us, too,” Cory says, also putting an arm around Shawn. Shawn looks mildly embarrassed at the attention and affection— but not unhappy. “Because of his job, he can’t be here all the time.”

“But when he’s here,” Topanga continues, “we make sure to let him know how much we both love him.”

Riley squints between Cory, Shawn and Topanga, like she’s waiting for them to jump up and reveal that they’re joking. But they’re obviously not. “So,” she says slowly, “are you saying that me and Lucas and Maya—”

“Now, remember what I said, you’re not us,” Shawn says quickly. “And you have your entire life to figure out what you want. And Maya and Lucas also have their entire lives to figure it out. You don’t need to know anything right now. You’re kids.”

“All we want you to know is that the world is big enough for you to love everyone you love,” Cory says, leaning in closer to the people beside him. His Topanga and his Shawn. “And you don’t need to hide how you feel about anyone from anyone.”

Riley nods, taking it all in. And then she says, “Okay. Okay. Can you get out of my window now? I just want to sit and think.” 

Cory, Shawn and Topanga smile at each other and then at her. “Sure thing, kid,” Shawn says. He stands up and puts an arm around Topanga and an arm around Cory and then the three of them walk out, leaving Riley alone with her thoughts. 


End file.
